Hongkongers can travel back in time 2,200 years - to when the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, were made - now that some of the rare treasures are on display here in Hong Kong.

The earthquake that ravaged Sichuan province last year caused massive damage, especially to the areas surrounding its capital, Chengdu. But one place that escaped severe damage was Sanxingdui, an archaeological site famed for its bizarre discoveries, located northeast of the city.

In 1974, some farmers were drilling a well just outside Xian (). Xian is the capital of Shaanxi () province. The farmers discovered mysterious bronze artefacts. They also discovered pieces of terracotta that looked like armour. Terracotta is a kind of baked clay.

When Yuan Zhongyi completed his ancient Chinese history studies in Shanghai in 1963, he was determined to work in Shaanxi because it was home to some of the most powerful dynasties in Chinese history, from the Zhou to the Qin, Han and Tang.

In modern China, with its brutal pace of development, it was an unremarkable death. Racked with disease and with no money to pay for medicine or a visit to the doctor, peasant farmer Wang Puzhi waited until his family were out, slipped a rope around his neck and ended his suffering.

Actor Adam Cheng Siu-chau is now more eager than ever to see the real terracotta warriors in Xian , after being a guest on Wednesday at the preview of an exhibition at Telford Plaza, Kowloon Bay, of 11 replica soldiers and various other pieces from the Emperor Qin Terracotta Museum in Shaanxi province .

The remnants of the legendary Shu dynasty may be the last remains of worshippers of an all-powerful sun god, a Southeast Asian tribe that took a wrong turn, or even, according to some, a civilisation inspired by aliens.